The drug, known as bardoxolone methyl, works in a new way, says researcher David Warnock, MD, the Hilda B. Anderson professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is slated to present the results of the phase II trial of the drug today at the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association Congress in Prague.

"This is a promising new treatment that may change the course, the whole way we approach severe kidney disease in diabetics," Warnock tells WebMD.

The results are also published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Diabetes is a major cause of kidney disease, which boosts the risk of kidney failure and the need for dialysis.

"There are 26 million Americans who have chronic kidney disease," Warnock says. "There are 500,000 on dialysis."

The hope, Warnock says, is to improve kidney function with the drug enough to delay or prevent the need for dialysis, which costs about $75,000 a year per patient.

Lynda Szczech, MD, president of the National Kidney Foundation, who reviewed the findings for WebMD, said the results look impressive, but she awaits results from the final clinical trial (phase III), now under way.

New Drug for Kidney Disease: Study Details

In the study, Warnock and his colleagues looked at three doses of the drug -- 25, 75, and 150 milligrams daily. They compared the drug treatment to placebo. The patients remained on other medications, such as blood pressure-lowering drugs, with the bardoxolone added on.

The new drug is an antioxidant that reduces inflammation, working in a new way. The reduction in inflammation leads to improved kidney function, Warnock says.

In all, they evaluated 227 patients, average age 67. The patients were equally divided into the placebo group and the three drug groups.

The researchers followed them for 52 weeks, evaluating the effect at 24 weeks and at 52 weeks.

Compared to placebo, people on the drug had an increase in their average GFR, a measure of kidney function.

What type of diabetes do you have?

Your gender:

Answer:

Low0-69

Normal70-130

High131+

Your level is currently

If the level is below 70 or you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.

People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.

However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.

Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.

One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

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